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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lie — to recline
  3. race — a contest
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — the arms race
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. kid — to tease
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hand — help
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. hand — in cards
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — a gift
  22. race — humankind
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com